Legislation Archive
Session Summaries
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2023 - Fifty-sixth Legislature - First Regular Session
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2022 - Fifty-fifth Legislature - Second Regular Session
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2021 - Fifty-fifth Legislature - First Regular Session
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2020 - Fifty-fourth Legislature - Second Regular Session
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2019 - Fifty-fourth Legislature - First Regular Session
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2018 - Fifty-third Legislature - Second Regular Session
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2017 – Fifty-third Legislature – First Regular Session
Bill Archive
SB 1242: S/E: water conservation grant fund; purpose
In Brief: Promotes gray water use and gives WIFA some financial flexibility.
Sponsor(s): Shope
Last Action: This bill passed House NREW with a 5-4-0-1 vote and a strike-everything amendment on March 19th.
Description: SB 1242 would shorten the time frames that the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) must comply with when processing Assured Water Supply (AWS) applications. It would reduce the administrative completeness review from 150 days to 90 days for all types of applications. Additionally, it would reduce the substantive time frame review from Certificates and Designations from 60 days to 30 days. When combined, all AWS applications would need to be processed within 120 days. The House NREW Committee adopted a strike-everything amendment that would allow the Water Conservation Grant Fund to finance the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority’s cost for administering and promoting the fund. Additionally, a developer could apply for grants from this fund to install gray water systems.
SB 1243: Groundwater sales; online exchange
In Brief: Allows those with a grandfathered right in the Tucson AMA to sell a portion of their right to anyone in these three AMAs.
Sponsor(s): Wadsack
Last Action: This bill passed House NREW with a 5-4-1 vote on March 19th.
Description: SB 1243, along with HB 2150, proposes to allow those with a grandfathered groundwater right in the Phoenix, Pinal and Tucson Active Management Areas (AMAs) to sell or lease a portion of their right or the groundwater itself to anyone in these three AMAs. Any groundwater right or groundwater sold leased may not be withdrawn in another sub-basin but may be transported to that basin. When a transaction occurs, the buyer lessee is entitled to receive the right to receive or withdraw 65% of the total amount of groundwater that was part of the transaction. The remaining 35% will remain with the land and cannot be pumped, used, or otherwise conveyed. This bill received a Kolodin floor amendment on April 3rd that would remove any mention of the Phoenix and Pinal AMAs and instead apply this bill only to the Tucson AMA. The idea is that this will serve as a pilot for this concept before it is potentially rolled out in other AMAs in the future. Under the amendment, ADWR is required to submit reports on January 1st 2025, 2027, and 2029 that detail various factors relating to the success of this pilot program. As far as we know, water officials in the Tucson AMA were not consulted about this amendment, and anecdotal evidence points to them not being happy about it.
SB 1245: Drinking water standards; pollutants
In Brief: Requires ADEQ to establish Aquifer Water Quality Standards for several chemicals including PFAS.
Sponsor(s): Sundareshan
Last Action:
Description: This bill would require ADEQ to establish Aquifer Water Quality Standards (AWQS) for chromium-6 (hexavalent chromium), 1,4-dioxin, and all PFAS chemicals. This bill would also remove a requirement that state regulations established by ADEQ are no more stringent than federal regulations about the same subject matter.
SB 1246: Reporting; groundwater pumping; measuring
In Brief: Requires measurement and reporting by almost anyone who owns a non-exempt well outside of an AMA or INA.
Sponsor(s): Sundareshan
Last Action:
Description: This bill, along with HB 2399, would require measurement and reporting by anyone who owns a non-exempt well outside of an AMA or INA if the well withdraws more than 10 acre-feet per year for a non-irrigation use or is used to irrigate 10 or fewer acres for an irrigation use. This bill also lists the reporting requirements for the well owner.
SB 1264: Colorado River; pumping; notice; objection
In Brief: Requires, as part of a notice of intent to drill an exempt well, a statement indicating that there is no objection from a public entity.
Sponsor(s): Borrelli
Last Action: This bill passed Senate RULES on February 19, 2024. This bill has not yet been scheduled for further action on the Senate floor.
Description: SB 1264 requires, as part of a notice of intent to drill filed with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), a statement indicating that there is no objection from a municipality, county, irrigation district, or the Mohave County Water Authority with a Colorado River entitlement when the well is an exempt well and meets several other requirements.
SB 1289: DWR; hydrology reports
In Brief: Requires ADWR to provide the House and Senate NREW Committees with a copy of any hydrologic report 30 days before that report is issued.
Sponsor(s): Hoffman
Last Action: This bill passed out of the House NREW Committee with a 6-4 vote on March 5th and passed House Third Read with a 31-28-0-0-1 vote on April 3rd. It has been transmitted to the Governor.
Description: SB 1289 would require the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) and Governor to provide the House and Senate Committees on Natural Resources, Energy & Water with a copy of any report on the hydrologic conditions of an active management area (AMA) 30 days before that report is issued.
SB 1325: Aquifer management; conservation; priority
In Brief: Requires ADWR to prioritize the “conservation and maintenance” of Arizona’s aquifers above all else.
Sponsor(s): Sundareshan
Last Action:
Description: This bill would require ADWR to prioritize the “conservation and maintenance” of Arizona’s aquifers above all else, followed in priority by the protection of Arizona’s “consumers” and then finally the protection of “all other users”.
SB 1326: Subdivisions; assured water supply; lots
In Brief: Requires anyone who proposes to offer one or more lots for sale within an AMA to obtain a CAWS or a commitment from a Designated Provider.
Sponsor(s): Sundareshan
Last Action:
Description: This bill would require anyone who proposes to offer one or more lots, parcels, or fractional interests for sale or lease (regardless of the lease term) within an AMA to obtain a Certificate of Assured Water Supply (CAWS) or a commitment of service from a Designated Provider. In cases where approval of the plat is not required, this bill would require a CAWS or commitment of water service before a building permit may be issued. This bill would also require the plat to obtain a CAWS or commitment before it was approved for development, even in areas where approval is not required, which seems redundant. This bill would separate the existing requirement to obtain a CAWS or a commitment of service from the definition of a subdivision.
SB 1327: Assured water supply; building permits
In Brief: Requires anyone who proposes to offer one or more lots for sale AMA to obtain a CAWS or a commitment of service from a Designated Provider.
Sponsor(s): Sundareshan
Last Action:
Description: This bill would require anyone who proposes to offer one or more lots, parcels, or fractional interests for sale or lease within an AMA to obtain a Certificate of Assured Water Supply (CAWS) or a commitment of service from a Designated Provider. In cases where approval of the plat is not required, this bill would require a CAWS or commitment before a building permit may be issued. This bill would separate the existing requirement to obtain a CAWS or a commitment of service from the definition of a subdivision.
SB 1328: Subsequent irrigation; non-expansion areas; procedures
In Brief: Makes multiple changes to the process of initiating the designation of a subsequent INA.
Sponsor(s): Sundareshan
Last Action:
Description: This bill, along with HB 2356, would allow ADWR to consider “reasonable projections” of future irrigation groundwater use when considering whether to designate an area as a subsequent INA, rather than only considering current irrigation groundwater use. This bill also defines the acceptable amount of groundwater available for irrigation as a 100-year supply. This bill also specifies who may sign a petition to designate a subsequent INA, including someone who is the owner of irrigated land, has irrigated two or more acres in the basin in the past five years, or “is capable of irrigating the land in the future”. This bill requires these petitions to be submitted along with a numeric groundwater model and hydrologic report prepared by a professional geologist or hydrologist. Lastly, this bill states that ADWR’s final decision on the designation of a subsequent INA are not an appealable agency action but are subject to judicial review, and that after a refusal another petition to designate the area may not be submitted for three years.